Core NGINX Developer Creates Freenginx Web Server Fork

Maxim Dounin, a core developer of the popular nginx web server, has announced the creation of a new fork called freenginx. This move comes after a disagreement with F5, the organization that acquired the nginx company in 2019. Dounin explained the reasons behind the fork in his announcement.

Dounin mentioned that after the closure of F5’s Moscow office in 2022, he no longer worked for F5. However, an agreement was reached for him to continue his role in nginx development as a volunteer. For almost two years, he worked on improving nginx for free. Unfortunately, the new non-technical management at F5 decided to interfere with the security policy that nginx had been using for years, going against both the policy and the developers’ position.

Due to this disagreement, Dounin decided to start an alternative project to keep nginx development free from arbitrary corporate actions. The goal of Freenginx, as stated on their website, is to maintain the open-source nature of nginx development. The website, freenginx.org, provides a brief statement explaining the project’s objectives.

Source: Phoronix.